The Master's Degree in Community Development is offered through the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance (IDEA). The Great Plains IDEA is a consortium of eleven universities offering fully on-line graduate programs. Universities participating in the Community Development Master's Degree program include North Dakota State University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, and South Dakota State University. For more information about the program, see: www.gpidea.org/prospective/community/cdProgram.html.

For more information about the Community Development Master's Degree program at North Dakota State University, contact:

Dr. Gary A. Goreham
Sociology, Anthropology, and Emergency Management
NDSU, Dept. 2350
PO Box, 6050, 404-E Minard Hall
Fargo, ND 58108-6050
telephone: 701-231-7637
email: Gary.Goreham@ndsu.edu

Upon successful completion of the Master's Degree in Community Development the student will be able to:

1. Apply critical thinking skills to understanding and evaluating how communities work and take action, as well as how to use, design and evaluate tools and strategies to assist communities in making change.
2. Have a broad conceptual view of community and organizational decision-making processes and strategies and identify, use, design, and evaluate tools and strategies for promoting broad-based decision making and action.
3. Apply critical thinking skills to identifying, using, designing, and evaluating strategies to improve economic, social, cultural and environmental conditions.
4. Have a broad conceptual view of the need for communities to balance development among all the community capitals and identify, use, design, and evaluate strategies to assist communities and organizations in seeking balance.
5. Appreciate the norms of behavior for the profession.

The requirements for the 36 credit Master's Degree program consists of:

Six core, required courses (16 credits):

• CED 709 Community Development Orientation (1 credit)
• CED 711 Community Development I: Principles and Strategies of Community Change (3 credits)
• CED 713 Community Development II: Organizing for Community Change (3 credits)
• CED 715 Community Analysis (Introduction to Methods) (3 credits)
• CED 717 Community and Regional Economic Analysis (3 credits)
• CED 719 Community and Natural Resource Management (3 credits)

Five 3-credit courses from at least two of the specialization tracks (15 credits):

• Natural Resources Management Track
• Working with Native Communities Track
• Building Economic Capacity Track
• Non-Profit Management Track

General Electives (3 credits)

Thesis or Creative Component (up to six credits)

Core Courses

• 709 Community Development Orientation (1 credit)
• 711 Community Development I: Principles and Strategies of Community Change (3 credits)
• 713 Community Development II: Organizing for Community Change (3 credits)
• 715 Community Analysis (Introduction to Methods) (3 credits)
• 717 Community and Regional Economic Analysis (3 credits)
• 719 Community and Natural Resource Management (3 credits)

Natural Resource Management Track

• 731 Ecological Economics (3 credits)
• 733 Sustainable Communities (3 credits)
• 735 Policy & Politics of Coastal Areas (3 credits)

Working with Native Communities Track

• 721 Introduction to Native Community Development (3 credits)
• 723 Building Native Community and Economic Capacity (3 credits)
• 727 Indian Country Agriculture and Natural Resources (3 credits)
• 725 Wellness in Native Communities: Challenges and Opportunities (1 credit)
• 726 Youth Development in Native Communities (1 credit)
• 728 Role of Tribal Colleges in Economic Development (1 credits)

Building Economic Capacity Track

• 741 Economic Development Strategies and Programs (3 credits)
• 742 Impact Analysis (1 credit)
• 743 Cost-Benefit Analysis (1 credit)
• 744 Local Economic Analysis (1 credit)
• 745 Land Management Planning (3 credits)

General Electives

• 752 Grantwriting (3 credits)
• 753 Not-For-Profit Management(3 credits)
• 755 Community Leadership & Capacity Building (3 credits)

Advising sheet for Community Development Online Masters